Argentina
Hard to believe that 2 years ago, we were in Argentina this week, enjoying summer in the Southern hemisphere. Argentina has a lot to love – a vast array of gorgeous landscapes, lots of great cultural experiences, and some pretty darn good wine to boot! I am hopeful that in Winter 2022, travel here will be possible – perhaps now is the time to start planning?
Argentina at a Glance:
A 12 Day Itinerary for Northern Argentina
| Day | Lodging | Activities |
| 1 | Buenos Aires | Arrive early afternoon (we arrived on a Saturday), check in at 1828 Smart Hotel 3 pm Recoleta cemetery 4 pm Artisan’s Market, Plaza Francia in Recoleta (Saturdays 12-6pm) Sunset at pedestrian bridge over Libertador 8 pm Dinner at a “secret” supper club (recommended: Casa Saltshaker) or take a food tour |
| 2 | Buenos Aires | 10 am: taxi to La Boca, picturesque neighborhood 1 pm: San Telmo Sunday market, choripán lunch at Nuestra Parrilla 4pm: walk to Plaza Mayo (Casa Rosada) and Puerto Madero 8pm Piazzolla dinner & tango show |
| 3 | Buenos Aires | Day trip to Uruguay: 8:15am Buquebus ferry to Colonia del Sacramento. Arrive to 9:30am, walk to town, explore. 5 pm Buquebus ferry back to BA, arrive 6:15 pm 7:30 pm line up for dinner at Proper (no reservations) |
| 4 | Buenos Aires | More exploration of Buenos Aires Could consider an estancia day trip +/- a visit to San Antonio de Areco, or a day trip to Tigre’s river delta 8pm Dinner at Tegui |
| 5 | Iguazu | 9 am: Fly to Iguassu falls (1 hr 47 min flight) 11 am Airport transfer arranged (1 hr drive) 12 pm Arrive: Belmond Hotel das Cataratas – Brazil. 3 pm Boat ride to Iguassu falls 5 pm Visit Iguassu falls at sunset (after park closes) |
| 6 | Iguazu | Visit the Argentina side of the falls (anticipate 6 hrs including border crossing, take tour or hire a driver), vs rainforest hike and kayak on the Brazil side of park Evening in the Rainforest experience |
| 7 | Mendoza | Leave hotel 9am. Fly to Mendoza 11am via 1 stop in BA, arrive 5:30pm. Dinner in Mendoza (recommended: 1884) |
| 8 | Mendoza | Bike tour & wine tasting in Lujan de Coyo with tasting lunch at Clos de Chacras. |
| 9 | Mendoza | Day trip to 360′ road, Puerto del Inca Afternoon hike at Aconcagua |
| 10 | Mendoza | 8am depart for estancia stay at Ranch e Cuero, |
| 11 | Mendoza | 10 am depart for wine tasting in Uco Valley 2 pm Tasting lunch at La Azul winery Catch red eye flight out of Mendoza back home |
| 12 | Home | Arrive home |
Notes on our itinerary: We traveled in February 2019, well into the summer months, and had beautiful weather. “Carnival” is celebrated on weekends in February in Bueno Aires, but unlike neighboring Brazil, celebrations seemed less widespread – we actually didn’t encounter any of the carnival festivities as we were so busy with other activities. I recommend checking with your hotel for information on locations. With more time, we would have spent an additional night in Iguazu falls – 2 nights felt short, and since rain can impact some activities (it is a rain forest, after all), more days will provide a cushion to see and do it all in case of rainfall. I also would have loved to have spent a few days in Uruguay rather than just a quick day trip. If you have the luxury of even more time, consider adding on Salta and Córdoba, or flying to El Calafate and spend a week exploring the glaciers and wonders of Southern Argentina.
Getting to and around Argentina:
Buenos Aires offers the most options for international flights; Mendoza also offers international flights. I recommend starting and ending your trip in either of these two cities, to avoid being stranded in a smaller city should an internal flight be cancelled (see below). From the United States, American Airlines has the most flight options, and American’s sAAver award flights (book far in advance) start at 30k miles each; United’s economy award flights are also 30k miles each. Argentina is a BIG country, so you will need to utilize flights or overnight buses to connect destinations. For internal flights within Argentina, Latam is the most reliable airline to book. I was warned against booking with Aerolineas Argentinas as they tend to spontaneously cancel flights last minute with no clear reason – then, when we ended up having to book a flight with them last minute, we got to experience that yes, this is a real thing – they canceled 2 flights on us, causing us to miss our flight back to the States. Be warned!! I normally pick nonstop flights, but I would pick a 1-stop Latam flight over subjecting myself to Aerolineas Argentinas again. Bondi is a budget airline also offering handy internal flights (i.e. Mendoza to Igauzu nonstop) but check the schedule as they only operate certain routes on limited days of the week.
Overnight bus travel is also popular in Argentina, and could be a less expensive option if you have the luxury of time (we did not) – the buses are cheaper than flying, plus you save on a night of hotel. Unlike the Greyhound buses we are used to seeing in the US, buses in Argentina have different classes just like an airplane, have entertainment, and even serve food/drink. I did some research into the overnight buses, as I had originally thought they might work well for us. I recommend looking closely at how long the bus route will take… a longer trip likely means lots of stops, which might make sleep impossible. For example, I looked into Buenos Aires to Mendoza, and trip length varied between 13-16 hours depending on stops. To optimize comfort and ability to sleep, a “cama suite” will get you a seat similar to business class on a plane – a seat that fully reclines, with partition between the seats, and may even include an entertainment console. Recommended bus companies are Via Bariloche and Andesmar, and you can search schedules and ticket prices through an online vendor like Plataforma10.
Good to Know:
- Logistics: Argentina does not require a visa for travelers from the US visiting for less than 90 days. Health recommendations from the CDC are to make sure standard routine vaccinations are up to date, and both typhoid and hepatitis A are recommended. For the Iguassu falls area, and if venturing further into Brazil, a yellow fever vaccine is recommended as there has been an ongoing yellow fever outbreak in Brazil since 2016. Malaria prophylaxis is not needed in northern Argentina or for the Iguassu falls, but is recommended in other parts of Brazil.
- Culture: Argentina feels very European – in fact, 50% of Buenos Aires residents are Italian! This means day to day routines are also very European – expect lunch hour to start at 1pm, and dinner hours start at 8pm; tango performances often start at 10pm (with dinner). This also means that punctuality is not prioritized; meeting times are merely a suggestion. The language spoken is Spanish, but you will immediately notice that in Buenos Aires, a dialect of Spanish is spoken with a few major differences – most importantly, the double L “ll” (normally pronounced “y”) is instead pronounced “sh”. My last name contains a “ll” which led to a lot of confusion when I would give my name to a host/hostess for a reservation. We found English was spoken at most hotels, wineries, museums, and some nicer restaurants. You will not find English menus, so bring a pocket dictionary or use a translator app -or do what we do and ask your server for recommendations on what to order!
- Food: The food in Argentina is delicious, and heavy on the meat (supposedly, an average Argentinian eats 60 kg of meat a year – whew!). Steak is king – learn how to order your perfect steak (bife de lomo is filet mignon, bife ancho is ribeye, bife de chorizo is sirloin; order jugoso for medium rare). Choripán is a popular chorizo sausage served on bread or baguette (like a hot dog) with chimichurri on the side. The portions are also HUGE – we found ourselves sharing a main course at restaurants unless we were doing a tasting menu (and those of you who know my husband know he is usually the “clean up crew” at dinner – he couldn’t keep with Argentina’s portions). Affordable tasting menus abound in both Buenos Aires, as well as in Mendoza’s wine country – paired winery meals are usually done as a very large, late lunch – and typically with unlimited wine pours, many for USD $50 or less. In Mendoza, bring a hearty appetite, and don’t get too excited about making elaborate dinner plans if you have tasting lunches planned at the wineries. Most importantly, you will find gelato *everywhere* thanks to the Italian influence – and if you like dulce de leche, you’ll find a staggering number of variations of dulce de leche gelato flavors to try. Don’t forget the alfajores, the classic dulce de lece cookies you will see everywhere (buy some to take home – you’ll probably be too full to eat them there).
- Money: We used our Charles Schwab fee-free debit card to get cash at the airport ATMs and at ATMs at major banks without having to fork over transaction fees. Your money will go far in most of Argentina; unfortunately for Argentina, the peso has not had a lot of stability due to inflation and domestic recessions. When we visited, the exchange rate was about 40 pesos per $1 (compared to the 20 pesos per $1 our brand new guidebook listed), and it has declined further since. in Mendoza’s wine country, we found prices were often listed in $USD given the widely fluctuating value of the Argentina peso, and you may notice that also with other services such as drivers and guides.
Buenos Aires
In Buenos Aires (BA), we could have used points to stay in a big box hotel, but I wasn’t wild about the “big city” neighborhoods they were located. Instead, we chose to stay in the more charming Palermo Soho neighborhood at a small boutique hotel, 1828 Smart Hotel. This vibrant, cosmopolitan neighborhood felt very safe to walk around at night and had a lot of great local cafes, boutique stores, and street art. This neighborhood is very close to the smaller Jorge Newbery airport (AEP) which you will use for internal flights. Ride share services are available – we used Uber to get around BA, which worked great and eliminated any potential confusion caused by language barriers.
Pick pocketing and theft are unfortunately a big problem in Buenos Aires. We actually watched a purse snatching happen in front of our eyes while walking to our tango show. Cell phone theft is also extremely common. My advice: do not carry a purse, or a large wallet. Carry 1-2 credit cards and enough cash for the day, and stash it in a hidden pocket or money belt; leave passports and remaining cash/cards in the safe at home. We did carry one cell phone between the 2 of use to use for catching an Uber and for maps; the other cell phone stayed in the hotel safe (that way, if worse came to worse and one cell phone was stolen, we still had one to use). This is a great opportunity to use an old cell phone that you have wiped of most data. Use an old cell phone or small digital camera for photos – something small enough that you can stash in a hidden or zippered pocket – and upload photos each evening in case your device is stolen.
Cultural highlights to prioritize: it sounds cheesy, but don’t miss out on a tango show. The blog Sol Salute has a ton of helpful information about Buenos Aires including a great list of tango shows – or join the locals in the wee hours of the morning at a local venue. Tour neighborhoods like the colorful La Boca, artsy Palermo, and charming Recoleta. Lastly – the food! I highly recommend looking at Eater’s recommendations, but there are so many great options. Also unique to Buenos Aires are “secret” supper clubs, offering a small, family style dinner usually hosted after-hours in a store or other commercial venue, or at the chef’s house (we picked Casa Saltshaker, but due to travel delays, we missed dinner – I was so bummed!). An estancia visit can be done as a day trip from Buenos Aires, and typically includes a huge lunch of Argentinian asado (barbecue) – another must try foodie experience.
A day trip – or even an overnight stay – in Uruguay is a great addition to your itinerary, click here for tips on day tripping to Uruguay!
Mendoza
Mendoza is a great base for exploring the best of Argentina’s wine regions, and is also home to Aconcagua and other breathtaking landscapes. A great online travel guide and resource for Mendoza can be found here. The major wine regions to visit around Mendoza are as follows:
- Luján de Cuyo – approximately 40 minutes south of Menoza, Lujan de Cuyo is home to Argentina’s wine movement, and Malbec is king here. I recommend a leisurely tasting lunch at Clos de Chacras.
- Maipú –Southeast of Mendoza, this is a smaller wine area; olive oil is also harvested here. For those who prefer not to hire a driver, this area is doable by bike – or bus.
- Uco Valley – While further away from Mendoza (75 minutes by car), this is by far the most beautiful of the winery areas, with views of the Andes mountains serving as your backdrop. This was also my favorite region for wine – Malbec of course, but also Pinot Noir, Semillon and Torrontes.
For those who like to purchase wine during their travels, plan on carrying your wine home with you – we did not encounter any winery or wine shop who was willing to ship due to current regulations. Consequently, it may make sense to end your trip in Mendoza so that you aren’t lugging wine.
If you are like us and don’t want to deal with the hassle of renting a car (for optimum relaxation and minimal stress, I would avoid renting a car), basing yourself in Mendoza city is most convenient. You might consider splitting your time here between Mendoza city and Uco valley, as we did. In Mendoza city, the centrally-located Park Hyatt Mendoza is ultra fancy and bookable on points through Hyatt (a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner), though the cash rates ($125/night at the time of our visit) were not outlandish. A spa day at the Park Hyatt can be a nice splurge after hiking Aconcagua. For a cheaper, more affordable option (bookable by points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal), the NH Cordillera hotel is clean, basic, and also located in central downtown (tip: ask for a room with a balcony). Another area in Mendoza to consider as a base for your stay is Chacras de Coria, just south of Mendoza (about 15 minutes by taxi). The Finca Adalgisa Wine Hotel would be our pick, and offers cooking classes if you’ve been itching to learn to make empanadas.
In Uco valley, we had a fantastic splurge stay at Estancia Ranch e Cuero, which will be covered in a separate post. Marriott points or free night certificates can be used to book the Auberge du Vin in Tupungato. A car or a driver is a must here; we utilized Driving Mendoza and had a great experience.
Related posts: Iguassu Falls; A Day Trip to Uruguay from Buenos Aires